"Your soul... Is darkening?"

"Remember my fight with my other half? Dai, I think she is taking over."

And it is true, as we speak I can still feel the chill on my spine, and I feel a clawed hand caressing my cheeks, and I hear her whisper, in a very faint sound.

"W... We need to get rid of the darkening, or else... I'll lose you!"

"I know, Dai. Let's continue on, we'll find where this space ends, and find a cure for me."

With that we flew through the space, as fast as we could. Along the flight, I keep stealing glances at Daiyousei who looked extremely worried about me.

What if my soul darkens completely? Will I still recognize her... As a lover? Someone who's the closest to me ever since my creation by nature?

Nevertheless we kept flying until we see land. We landed there, and we see that it leads to a cave exit. Before exiting I noticed a small campfire near the exit, which I then froze just in case.

We walked out, and a bright light shines upon us. We see a sunlit city in the distance, with buildings as tall as mountains. We made our way across the pointy stone pillars that block our way, by squeezing through them and we made it out of the cave.

After exiting I felt that weight on me again, my ability to fly has been stripped off again.

The both of us looked at the cave behind us, and I said,

"No going back, not till we find Reimu, Dai."

"I know."

We then turned our sights to the massive city in the distance, and we made our way down from where we are, a small mountain, using a dirt path that leads down to a stone one.

We walked along the stone road, until the city became much closer. It looked bigger to us when we're near.

Daiyousei kept gazing right and left, marvelling at the buildings, and the entire cityscape.

However something is amiss. If this city is this big, why haven't we seen any people? No signs of life whatsoever.

"Dai, I want you to fly up, find out some points that may interest us."

"Got it, Cirno-Chan."

I waited for a few seconds, trying to conjure at least an ice crystal. Even though other people couldn't see or feel it, I sense both.

Her presence, trying to take me over with each death I suffered. I feel losing control of my body, but I tried to resist by closing my fist over and over.

"Cirno-Chan! Snap out of it!"

I widen my eyes, as I see Daiyousei shaking my body over, and I try to rebalance myself.

"I'm alright, I'm alright..."

"You are not alright, we need to find you something... I did see the center of the city, and a huge temple like building over there."

But then we heard footsteps. We weren't alone. I conjured my sword and shield, of ice. Afterwards, the footsteps came closer and the figures reveal themselves from all directions of the streets. We are surrounded.

The people who surrounded us were all armored. Some wear full plates armed with a spear, most wear partially medium plates armed with their swords and shields, and the rest of the others wear light armor, their faces hidden behind a mask under a leather hood, and are armed with a sword and dagger. The most noticable thing about each of them is that they had a star emblem on their attires.

I conjured a crystallized greatsword, and I told Daiyousei, "Stay close to me, Dai. I got this."

One of them started attacking with their short swords, but I dodged and thrusted my sword into her before letting her go. Afterwards a spear wielding soldier tries to skewer me from behind which I dodged by jumping and flipping to the back, and I thrusted my sword through her back before letting her go, lifeless.

And then I felt it, a tingle that later becomes pain. one of the hooded soldiers plunged her dagger into my left hip, blood begins to seep out of it slowly.

I grunted, before slashing the hooded soldier's head off. Afterwards I chant, "Earth sign - Earthquake!" Which then caused the ground to shake, making the soldiers' footings crumble and they fell into each other, the weight of their armors made it hard for them to stand.

I took the dagger off from my hip, and I see the blood spraying out. Quickly, I froze the wound before I raised my right hand.

"Fire sign - Hail of Burning Fire!"

And a huge ball of fire then shoots out from my hand, to the sky before spraying down a hail of fire to the soldiers. The fires melted through their armors, and into their bodies, slowly killing them. Some were reduced to ashes.

I turned around to see Daiyousei crawling away from a surviving hooded soldier. I slashed her head off, before giving a hand to Daiyousei.

"Got you, Dai."

She took my hand and got up before hugging me. I hugged her back, before she said "Looks like that soldier you just... She got something."

We inspected her inventory, and within her armor and pouches we find a strange looking statuette, resembling a woman. There is a small engraving that says "Lady Shinki, The Almighty Creator of Makai."

"You familiar with this name, Dai?"

"No clue."

The statuette's chest also has a small gem which is glowing. It seems to react to my body.

I raised it up, before it then shatters into pieces. I can feel warmth, covering my entire being. Well, looks like heat doesn't hurt me as much as when I was still just an ice fairy.

"Cirno-Chan, you... You're back to normal!"

I looked at my reflection on the crystallized sword, and I see my eyes, and my body are back to it's former self. Normal eyes, and skin.

"Looks like that Shinki woman statue can cure your darkening, even if it's a one-time use."

"I guessed so, too. Her presence is no longer within me."

But then I must be careful, not to die too many times. Who knows, these statuettes are limited.

We continued our journey, with Daiyousei flying me over the corpses, to the city square.

- To Be Continued